Experimental Study of Solids Motion in an 18 m Gas–Solids Circulating Fluidized Bed with High Solids Flux

Abstract

A comprehensive experimental study of solids motion is conducted in an 18-m high circulating fluidized bed with extremely high solids circulating rate (Gs) up to 1000 kg/(m2 s), which is never achieved in such a tall riser in previous researches. The axial distributions of particle velocity show exponential types and slight changes in the fully-developed zone with Gs higher than 400 kg/(m2 s). The radial profiles of particle velocity are the parabolic shapes and become steeper with increasing Gs. The development of gas-solids flow structure becomes slower with increasing Gs or decreasing Ug. When Gs reaches 800 kg/(m2 s), the full development is achieved until to the axial height higher than 12 m. Better correlations between the local particle velocity and solids holdup and less down-flowing particles indicate better reactor performance with the reducing solids back-mixing and uniform residence times at extremely high Gs.